Dying In America
by Piper-Elise
Summary: Mark, is coping a yr after the death of Angel, and his break up with Maureen, he works at Buzzline, to pay for rent, he finds an old friend of his....


Dying in America

Chapter 1

**All characters except for Brode, Matt, and Riley (c) to Jonathon Larson**

Mark pulled on his legendary black and grey scarf,and brought out his old camcorder. It had been found in a dump in downtown Manhattan, five years ago and he had reworked it, and now it was like new. Documentaries were his thing, and he was bound to find something that would make viewers see life for what it really was, instead of what Buzzline had been forcing him to document, but if it paid the rent, then he guessed it was better than nothing. Even if he felt it wasn't right; scandal, sex and and all the latest gossip. Mark cringed and grabbed his coat, it was 8:30 am on a Monday, and he walked out of his room, to see Roger and Mimi making out. Since Angel's death and Mimi's random dissapearance, Roger had managed to talk Mimi out of what she was using, and though she fought for a long while with the withdrawl effects, she managed to stay on her feet. He smiled at them and waved, grabbing his bicycle and heading out the door. He had been creditally acclaimed when it came to his documentaries, and he even won a few awards, but the stories they sent him to documentary, just cramped his style. He sighed, and walked down the last few stairs of the apartments. The apartment really needed some work, but since he was the only one besides Joanne paying rent, there was nothing they could do, and Benny had became pushier than ever, especially since Mimi went back to Roger. So he highly doubted if anything would come of that notion.  
He pushed his red bicycle out onto the sidewalk and hopped on, it was a crisp fall New York morning, and people were bustling about. He weaved in and out of the crowd, shooting a few clips of film here and there.Finally arriving at Buzzline he was greeted by his boss Alexi, rushing toward him. He cringed slightly, she was the type that was nice to everyone in front of them, but bad mouthed them behind there backs. She was dressed in a red 2 piece skirt and jacket set with a white turtleneck underneath. and her dark black hair was pushed into a '40's sidesweep.  
"Mark, darling you're going out with Matt and Brode today, we have a rape to report and we don't want to be the last on the bandwagon do we?" she said handing him a few sheets of paper, and his mail,"I picked up your mail, so you don't have to hurry about so much, and this is a few reports and things, that we have on your salary. You're about due for a raise".  
She winked, and smiled rushing back the same way she had come. He watched her walk away, skeptical, and looked back down at his mail, and then sighing stuffed it in his messenger bag. "I think that she likes you".  
said a voice behind him, it was Brode the company's assistant editor. "I wouldn't give her the time of day, do you know how she treats everyone?" Mark replied looking back at him. "Don't we all". came Brode's reply.  
Brode was a man in his early 20's, slender, his dark short, but shaggy hair came over his eyes, and he wore the latest clothing. His eyes were the deepest blue you had ever seen, but Mark wasn't into guys. Maureen's leaving him, had come on him hard and he had not been taking it to well. Joanne was a sweatheart, but very well, Upfront. He couldn't help but wonder what she saw in Joanne in the first place, except her up front and sweet nature, but other than... what he wondered? Joanne was a good person, although they had their differences, and didn't like each other at first they came become good friends, everything had changed drammatically since Angel's death and everyone was feeling the effects.  
"So are you coming or not?"Brode's question came back to him hazy.  
"Yeah, sorry" Mark said following him out of the multi-million dollar steel structure and into the van. He shot footage that day, of left over scences that looked like they came out of a horror movie, the pain was all to real in the faces of those, who had been forced into this house, but one face caught his eye in particular, and he kept shooting back to her, it was a rapist house, he knew this, but this girl looked defiant, almost like nothing was happening, she was dressed in a ragged full length black dress, with tear marks everywhere, and she was gagged, at first Mark didn't realize this, but once he did, he quickly pushed through the mob of police, reporters and television crews, and scrambling frantically through the debri that was left after, the police busted in, the notorius Rella De Buu in New York City's south end, the infamous rape house which no one had been able to do anything about till now, 30 years later. Mark shook his head, at the thought, and bent over to her, she looked at him suspiciously, which he didn't blame her, and started to ungag her, pulling her binds away, and helping her stand upright. She hugged him, and started to bawl, her hair was long and chestnut, it was dirty, but he guessed it was beautiful, when it wasn't dirty. Her dark green eyes, pierced into his grey ones. and she hung on for dear life, she didn't look much older than him, but he couldn't be sure. He wrapped his arms around her and they quietly slipped out, no one had noticed, and no one needed to notice for the time being. Brode noticed and smiled, Mark had found his match.  
"So what is your name, he asked, taking off his coat, and draping it over her, I don't want to hurt you, you're just so beautiful". He said looking her in the eyes  
"Mark, I ..I missed you" she proffesed, quietly. Her expression slowly turning from scared, back to the defiant one he had just seen earlier, and then he realized who it was.  
"My God, Riley, I thought you went west!" he said, realization dawning, as he grabbed her in a strong hug.


End file.
